


First Time

by unconditionallyinfinite



Series: The Destiny Series [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 25 Word Challenge, Boho, But Tony adores her anyway, Christmas Fluff, Cute, Destiny is Awesome, Destiny is a Weirdo, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluffyfest, Other, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony-centric, hippie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-12 08:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9064933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unconditionallyinfinite/pseuds/unconditionallyinfinite
Summary: "The first time he meets her, she showed up at his door soaking wet, bruised and covered in glitter – but she's beaming and he just knows that it's the beginning of the end for him."
 
First intallment in 'The Destiny Series'





	1. Chapter 1

# First Time

The first time he meets her, she showed up at his door soaking wet, bruised and covered in glitter.

After many an argument, Pepper had finally convinced (ordered) him to get a new assistant. He finds one in a girl named Sheila Parks – a blonde haired, blue eyed young 22-year-old who was intelligent and had no qualms about reminding Tony that, “Yes, you still have a company to run and if you don’t sign those papers or attend those meetings then Pepper will come to remind you and we both know that you are terrified of her wrath.”

He was, but he would never admit it. 

Anyway, Sheila was great and Tony… _tolerated_ her existence in his lab and offices. She did her job, had a sense of humour and got along with the team. So of course, he agreed to let her skip work for one day to meet up with a childhood friend, only for nature to interfere and rain to start pouring down like there was no tomorrow.

“Mr. Stark –”

“Tony.”

“Mr. Stark,” She completed ignored his correction, tapping her nails on the lab bench he was currently sitting at. He made a noise of protest but otherwise was too distracted to try and move her, “Is it alright if my friend comes here? We’ll stay in the employee lounge downstairs, I promise.”

Tony waved a hand, brow scrunching up as he replied, “Bring her up to the communal floor, it’s fine.” He delved back into _science!_ after that, clearly ending their conversation. He didn’t really notice that Sheila had walked away, or that hours had passed before he finally looked up from the bench; he groaned, tilting his head back to stretch his neck out. 

“JARVIS?”

“Almost four hours, sir,” His UI replied helpfully. “It is currently 3:47 in the afternoon.”

“Huh.” Fours hours? Not bad, though, though he could aim for eight if he really wanted to. But now that he had returned to reality he was hungry and said hunger would not be ignored.

Staggering to his feet, he blinked a few times before leaving his lab. He yawned as he walked down the steps and into the communal floor, where Sheila, Bruce, Pepper and Steve where all sitting. The Captain nodded in greeting, mouth full of some pasta Bruce had cooked. Pepper was busy typing away on a computer on the counter, while Bruce and Sheila were quietly eating their own food in quiet. 

Tony yawned again as he walked over to the coffee machine and Sheila raised an eyebrow. 

“Really, Tony?”

“Shh! Miss Parks, act professional!” He mocked. “We have company.” She rolled her eyes, scooping up some more pasta. Turning on the coffee machine he added, “Speaking of company, where’s yours?”

A frown pulled at Sheila’s face; she slid a hand into her pantsuit pocket, pulling out a phone and checking it. 

“Not sure,” She sighed, putting her phone on the counter next to her. “I texted her an hour ago to head here but she hasn’t responded. She should have been here by now.” 

“Who is coming?” Pepper asked, not looking up from her laptop. Tony went to shut the screen but she slapped his hand away, so he just turned back to making some   
coffee. 

“My best friend, Destiny,” Sheila informed, a bright smile lighting up her face. “We haven’t seen each other in a year, so since she’s in the city I demanded that we hang out,” She cast a glance outside. “I _was_ hoping that it would be a bit sunnier but I don’t really care as long as she’s here.”

“Where does she live?” Steve asked, and Tony was delighted to see that a light blush spread across his cheeks as he looked at Sheila. He kept the wicked smirk from spreading across his face.

Sheila shook her head, blonde curls swaying around her head as she giggled. Shrugging, she answered, “No where and every where.”

Bruce – who forced a bowl of pasta into Tony’s hands despite his protests – sent her a confused look. 

“What do you mean?”

“Destiny is…” She hesitated, trying to find the right word. “A free spirit, if you will. She was born in Australia but when her parents died in a house fire when she was seventeen, she dropped everything and took off. For the last seven years she has travelled – first it was Australia, then she won a bit of money and took off overseas. She hasn’t stopped since.”

“That sounds tiring,” Pepper commented, looking concerned for a girl she’s never met.

Sheila laughed, once again shaking her head.

“She loves it,” She assured Pepper. “I promise. Destiny hates being stuck in one place for too long – every month I get gifts from different countries she has visited. I have clothes from Nepal, statues from India, recipe books from Angola – hell, she’s even been to Iraq and Afghanistan!”

“How does she afford all this?” Tony piped up – he was actually quite curious. How did a girl who hasn’t stayed in one place since she was seventeen afford to travel the world? 

“Sometimes she doesn’t,” Sheila admitted, a frown on her face. “For the first four years she survived off the insurance claims and the lottery winnings but once that went, she started to do odd jobs in whichever country she was in. There are times when I have to send her some money to help her until she builds some savings again. Then I end up getting some money back along with a gift from wherever she is at the moment. Luckily, she has friends _everywhere_ – and I mean that in the literal sense, I promise you – and they help her too. Even my parents help her out from time to time.”

“How did you two meet?” Pepper looked curious now, shutting her computer and leaning on her arms as she stared at Sheila. 

“Pen pals since we were nine – the first time she went overseas she came to the upper east side where I lived with my parents,” Grabbing her phone, she fiddled with it before turning so the screen faced Pepper.

“That’s us on her eighteenth birthday,” Sheila said brightly. “She managed to convince my Dad to buy us alcohol, since the age limit for drinking is eighteen in Australia. We got hammered.” The last bit was said with a large amount of pride. 

Tony peeked at the picture – a younger Sheila was smiling at the camera, her blonde hair shorter than it was now and her face a little chubbier. A tan brunette was sitting beside her, in the middle of laughing by the looks of it, wearing a loose long dress and she had a purple streak in her hair. Even in picture, Tony could certainly see that was traveller – something about her just screamed it.

“I miss her,” Sheila admitted, sighing as she gazed at the picture. “It will be nice to see her again, hear her stories – she’s promised me she is going to stay in the city for more than two weeks this time, so hopefully I’ll be able to get some real quality time with her. Maybe I should call her again, see if –”

“There is no need, Miss Parks,” JARVIS smoothly interrupted. “It seems as if Miss Destiny Farthing has just arrived – she is on her way up now.”

Sheila brightened and took off towards the elevators and Tony watched the Captain as he smiled to himself as he watched her go.

“So… when are you asking her out, Cap?” Asked Tony casually. 

Steve flinched and snapped his head to face Tony, a blush quickly crawling across his face. He spluttered for a response, much to the amusement of everyone in the communal kitchen. 

“Hey! No need to be embarrassed, Cap!” Tony chuckled, grabbing his coffee and winking over his shoulder as he left the group. “I’m sure Sheila likes the old man thing you have going on!” 

He laughed, ducking out of the way as something was thrown his way, and instead his walked over to where Sheila was waiting, bouncing on the balls of her feet. He went to make a sarcastic comment but suddenly the doors to the elevator opened and out stepped a grinning brunette, dripping water on the floor and covered in glitter.

He wouldn’t admit it until years later, but that moment, right here and now, was the moment he was hooked. 

She was beautiful – her feet were bare, sandals clutched in her hand, her brown skirt and white top stuck to her like glue and her hair was plastered to her face. She was clutching a patchwork bag in one hand and a large brown duffel bag was thrown over the other, all the while she was beaming – it wasn’t grinning, it was brighter than that – and seemed oblivious to the fact that she was soaking wet and covered in glitter. 

She was a sight to behold, one he quite enjoyed.

“Destiny! Your face!”

Destiny waved her friend off, dropping her bags to the floor with a happy sigh, “Everyone was scrambling to get out of the rain, and some people weren’t nice about it, but that’s okay. It’s just a bruise.” Her voice was hearty and warm, the accent curling around every word in such a strange way and it made his insides feel… no, he was not going to do that. Just… no.

Tony watched as Sheila frowned and gently ran a hand over the bruise that was slowly forming on Destiny’s cheek; he felt something surge through him at the thought of someone hurting her but quickly dismissed it, shaking his head. That movement caught Destiny’s gaze and her lips pulled even wider; her eyes landed on the mug in his hand and her eyes lit up. 

“Coffee!” 

She practically skipped over to him and Tony could do nothing but watch as this gorgeous being took his coffee out of his hands and take a sip; she hummed, closing her eyes and licking her lips. His heart started to beat a bit faster in his chest. 

“Tony?” 

“Hm?” His eyes snapped to his assistant and she rolled her eyes, giving him a knowing look. “What?”

“Do you think Destiny could shower here?” She asked, then sent a stern look at Destiny when she opened her mouth to argue. “Don’t argue! You need to shower and get that glitter off you – and I hope there is an innocent explanation for that – and get warmed up before I give you a hug. After that, we can talk, okay?”

Destiny grumbled, but she was still smiling.

“Flash mob, central park,” She explained happily, then sighed. “It was amazing and it rained – I felt like I was in a movie!” 

Sheila rolled her eyes fondly, “You’re such a dreamer, Destiny.”

“Damn straight.” Destiny agreed, lifting the cup again to take a sip. She eyed the man before her before saying, “You are surprisingly quiet. I would have thought you would have been talking a mile a minute, but you’ve surprised me.” 

He raised an eyebrow and managed to dig deep and find his voice again, a small grin playing on his face.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Do you want it to be?”

She was staring at him with large brown eyes that shined unlike any other and he suddenly wished she would never look away. They were full of pain and pleasure and stories unlike any other and he wanted to nothing more than to pry each and every one out of her. It was new startling feeling, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“No.” He answered quietly and she smiled, reaching up to pat his cheek.

“Good.” She simply said, before turning and walking back towards the elevator. “Come on, show me a shower – ah!”

“Give me!” Sheila intercepted her friend, grabbing the coffee mug from her hands. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “Ew, it’s like sludge!”

“Ah, yes, but it’s _caffeinated_ sludge!” Destiny said brightly, picking up her bags. She stared at the puddle her bags made on the floor for a moment before looking at Tony sheepishly. “Sorry. I will clean it up if you –” He cut her off with a wave of his hand, coughing slightly to try and regain his thoughts. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get someone to clean it up.” He told her. “Better yet – Sheila! Get someone to clean it up, will you?”

He walked past the two woman without another word, entering the elevator and sending a cocky grin towards Destiny. 

“Come on, sweetheart, it’s shower time,” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Sheila groan and Destiny giggle. He swallowed at the sound, turning his head away so he wouldn’t stare at her. 

Not a minute later Destiny entered the elevator once again in all her soaked, glitter covered and bruised glory, humming a light tune under her breath. Tony pressed the button to the guest room floor; as soon as the doors slid close Destiny turned to face him. 

“Want to go on a date?”

It didn’t really resonate in him what she just said until a few seconds later, but when it did he froze, eyes widening and heart beating wildly. 

“I’m sorry?”

“Oh, not to make you uncomfortable,” She assured him, still staring at him and smiling slightly. “You are just very attractive and I thought I would take a risk. I mean, I’m not asking you to fall in love with me and have a relationship with me – I’m not that kind of girl, never was. But I would really like, all the same, if we did something,” She tilted her head and bit her lip. “So, would you like to go out with me, Tony?”

Her accent made him positive that everyone had been saying his name wrong since birth.

“It would be a pleasure, Destiny.”

The first time he meets her, she showed up at his door soaking wet, bruised and covered in glitter – but she’s beaming and he just knows that it’s the beginning of the end for him.  



	2. Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The problem was, he knew it wouldn't last. Destiny was someone who craved travel, who needed to move around. He knew that she wouldn't be staying here forever and for some reason that made him hurt.
> 
> He had contemplated over the course of the past few days if he should tell her that – is it too soon to tell her that he could only focus on her when she walked into the room? Too soon to tell her that he can remember the exact way she took her tea, or how many times she would shake out her pants before she put them on? Was it too soon to tell her that he loved the mickey mouse shaped white mark on the inside of her thigh? That he could recite her name backwards, forwards and in eighteen different languages in his sleep?
> 
> Was it too soon to tell her that he didn't want her to leave?

# Left Unsaid

Tony loved his workshops (yes, plural!) and he loved that he could lose himself in whatever project he was doing. He loved the smell of oil and the clang of his tools, the sound of his repulsers rearing up to go when he was testing the suit.

Everything about his workshops drew him in and he loved it. It was safe haven from the world, the one place he could retreat to that nobody could touch.

Then Destiny came.

Destiny Farthing had stumbled into his life covered in glitter almost a week ago and dear Lord he was smitten - never in his life had he been so attuned to one woman before. In the sheets, sure, he knew his way around! But with her… there was not enough words to express how he felt about her.

His eyes lifted from where he was tinkering with one of Barton's bows and they fell on the sleeping figure of Destiny, curled up like a cat in one of the armchairs in the lab. She was wearing a shirt of his (that was one thing he loved about her – she held no shame) and some shorts, a patchwork blanket she had said came from Nepal thrown over her. Her brown hair looked messy and knotty and she was snoring slightly, her nose wrinkled up adorably.

Tony smiled to himself and looked to the floor  
.  
They had gone on a date the second night she had arrived and ended up back at the tower, wrapped up together in his bed and it had been that way since. He would fall asleep with her fingers tapping random beats on his arc reactor (don't even get him started on the fact that he wasn't terrified she was going to take it out) and he would wake up to her pressed up against him like a cat (ironically, her favourite animal). Then, they would get up and eat breakfast in the communal area. 

The first time that happened Steve had raised his eyebrows and Natasha had a small smirk on her face as Destiny padded across to the fridge in nothing more than sleep shorts and one of Tony's shirts. When she did it the next day, no one batted an eyelid.

It became clear after a few days that Tony adored her. He had JARVIS monitoring her at all times, gave her all his attention when she walked in the room, and had even given her access to his labs where he spent most of his day.

Usually, she would come in around lunch with some food and they would talk – about Iron Man and the Avengers and the places she had been and the people she had met. Then she would curl up in the exact same chair, with a cup of tea and a book, or a tablet as he tried to get back to work. Sometimes she would come in and sit down with nothing, content to just watch him as he worked. He would always end up horribly distracted and he had a feeling she knew it but she didn't stop. He would ask her to, except it never crossed his mind to. He really didn't mind that she was there, her wide eyes and small smile on her face making him smile every time he looked at her. She was comfort he didn't realize he needed.

Sighing, Tony dropped the arrow and the tool he was using and stood up. He gave himself a second to stretch, his back muscles groaning as they finally moved after hours of being hunched over the table, before quietly walking over to the sleeping girl. When he was right next to her, he squatted down and just stared at her.

_She is exquisite_ , he thought. His gaze trailed over her soft features and he tried to ignore the pounding of his heart.

_God, I could get used to this…_

The problem was, he knew it wouldn't last. Destiny was someone who craved travel, who needed to move around. He knew that she wouldn't be staying here forever and for some reason that made him hurt.

He had contemplated over the course of the past few days if he should tell her that – is it too soon to tell her that he could only focus on her when she walked into the room? Too soon to tell her that he can remember the exact way she took her tea, or how many times she would shake out her pants before she put them on? Was it too soon to tell her that he loved the mickey mouse shaped white mark on the inside of her thigh? That he could recite her name backwards, forwards and in eighteen different languages in his sleep?

Was it too soon to tell her that he didn't want her to leave?

Where this had come from he didn't know; he was never the type for a relationship, never the type to fall deeply for someone. He wasn't made for it. Relationships were just one thing he struggled with and as such, he never really tried for one.

But, _God_! Did he want one with her! She was perfect to him - constantly laughing and _beaming_ and singing and dancing and questions after questions and he felt like he would do anything for her. It scared him shitless and he had already had two major freak-outs this week and he was positive they wouldn't be the last.

It was all just so new! He reached to play with the end of her brown hair; how was this fair? She just walks in and he falls for her like a lovesick teenage boy! How pathetic can he be!

And what kind of person would that make him, if Tony dragged her into the mess that was his life, hm? The daddy issues and the media and the constant near-death experiences. She wouldn't want that. How could she want that? He wasn't stable, he had so many issues _Vogue_ was green with envy and on top of that, he didn't know if he wouldn't screw it up. What's to say he wouldn't get drunk and cheat on her? What if he insulted her, pushed her away somehow? It was inevitable that he would screw it up and he didn't know if he could handle that.

So maybe it is better for the both of them, he mused to himself, if they just have fun for remainder of her stay here. After that, they would go on with their lives – it would be just like all the other girls Tony brought home. They have some fun and then they moved on.

But she wasn't just another girl and that was the problem – Destiny was something he hadn't experienced before and deep down, right into his bones and piercing through his heart, he knew it.

He groaned quietly, dropped his head to rest on what he thinks is her knee underneath her blanket; it smells woodsy and was warm and he sighed, trying to relax. He fought back the flinch as a hand came up to rest in his hair.

"What you thinking?" Destiny murmured and he peeked up at her, smiling at her sleepy expression. Her eyes were still-half closed and she yawned.

"I don't know," He replied honestly.

"Oh." She said. "What do you want to think?"

What did he want to think? She asked the strangest questions.

"You know," He mused, leaning into her fingers. "I should be the one asking the insightful questions – you know, being twenty years older than you."

"Feel free to admire me," She sighed, smirking slightly.

He rolled his eyes, letting his head fall back down so his cheek rested against her; her fingers continued to play with his hair and he found it soothing.

"You are very conceited."

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, Anthony."

His nose wrinkled in distaste. "Why do you call me Anthony?"

She didn't answer because really, he wasn't asking. He didn't hate his name contrary to popular belief but he had been called Tony for so long, that he could forget that his actual name was Anthony.

"I should get up," Destiny mumbled but she made no move to get up. "Sheila wants me to meet her in the lobby at four to go get coffee."

She kept talking and he let her go on and on with a smile on his face. Her eyes were closed but her free hand was waving around as she talked. He could feel the vibrations of her voice underneath his cheek, warm and comforting and he never wanted it to stop.

Later that night, when Destiny was fast asleep next to him, Tony lied awake. His mind was whirling with thoughts that he had no idea how to organize. For the first time in his life, Tony didn't know how to really say what he wanted to say.

_But maybe it wasn't about saying anything_ , he thought. He glanced at Destiny, taking in the soft rise and fall of her chest before he quickly got out of bed. He exited his floor, heading straight to the elevator.

"Workshop, JARVIS."

**XxXxXxXxX**

_I don't know exactly what to say to really express how I feel._

_I know that every time you walk in the room, the world is suddenly spinning around you. When you smile or laugh I want to laugh too. I know that you have to shake out your clothes an odd number of times otherwise you will have a panic attack and you put a ridiculous amount of sugar in your tea._

_I know that even after only a week, I could start fires with what I feel for you._

_The words I want aren't with me today, but I hope with time, they will be. So, every time I finally am able to find the words to describe how much I adore your laugh or how you sing horribly at the top of your lungs, I will continue this letter… diary… journal thing and maybe one day, you will read it. Hopefully then I will have found all the words that I need._

_I'm not good with emotions – never have, never will. And for the past few days since you have arrived, covered in glitter with a bruise on your face and a smile so large I thought for sure your lips were stuck that way, I have been struggling to determine exactly what to say to you. Then, I struggled to decide **if** I should say it to you. I have decided that no, I will not say anything to you, because sometimes things are just better left unsaid, even the good things._

_Doesn't mean I can't write them down._

_One day, you will read this. Even if you take off again to travel the world, I will make sure you read this. And when you read it, it will be complete. It might be only a few pages long or it might be an entire novel but you will read every last word and know exactly what I never said to you. And maybe one day I will manage to open my mouth and say just a few things that will be in here but today is not that day and quite honestly, I don't think it will be anytime soon._

_So even though most of this is being left unsaid, I hope you see through my actions the words I might not ever say._

_One day, I'll figure out the words. Just you wait, Destiny Farthing. Just you wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter up! Sorry about the delay, computer hates me, I swear to God...  
> Hope you guys enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!  
> xx

**Author's Note:**

> I found a 25 word prompt on livejournal and decided to try it. This series is already going on fanfiction.net.
> 
> All of these one-shots are focused on Tony and Destiny - mainly, in Tony's point of few because Tony is amazing and I love Tony. 
> 
> Just so you know:
> 
> \- Destiny is 24 and Sheila is 22  
> \- Tony is 44  
> \- Destiny is from Australia but she has been travelling since she was seventeen, since her parents died in a house fire  
> \- Destiny is... boho? Dreamy? Traveller-Like? She is free-spirited and relaxed and believes in karma and all that - kind of like me :P  
> \- Her last name ("Farthing") means 'foreign traveller' in Old Norse
> 
> Also, I'm not writing any of this on word (because it is being so effing stupid, honestly, I'm dying) and I have no beta, so sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Hope you all like it!  
> xx


End file.
